Category Archives: Sparks

The Sparks Creative Play Program is especially oriented to the needs of our 4-7 year old age group including accepting children from Yarralumla Preschool and Montessori School. It provides an introduction to Aeon’s distinctive approach to education and total human enrichment through creative experience.

Sparks at a theoretical level aims to foster creativity and develop enquiry and inquisitiveness about the world around and beyond us and our current understandings. The premise of Sparks is to create physical, emotional and social spaces that lead to interactions aimed at nurturing the creative spark within all children.

Planned interactions within the domains of the more specialised Aeoncademy programs of Vala, Creative Catalyst and more generally the Kitchen-Garden provide structured experiences which facilitate and support the Sparks to engage in a broad range of creative play – based development.

Vala interactions in Dramatic Make-Believe present the opportunity to engage in storytelling and character play enabling children to develop and broaden their language and social skills as well as their self confidence, control of their body and understandings of how to move through space. It is also a lot of fun and with Vala stories set at different times in history around the globe there’s always some interesting facts to learn.

Interactions in the art room and beyond with the Creative Catalyst program enable students to discover and develop visual languages, explore various materials, tools and techniques and learn to express themselves and their ideas in different ways all the while building on language, social, fine motor, adaptive, and creative skills.

The Kitchen-Garden is a tasty way that we engage all the senses in an exploration of the environment and broader world. Nurturing plants and others through food encourages the children to develop empathy, compassion, responsibility and adaptability. Further opportunities for children to engage in nurturing their creativity as well as engage in extending their physical, social, emotional and cognitive development are enabled by encouraging the children to self-guide their own creative play as well as support them to interact in less structured environments during free-play sessions.

Next week is the first week of after school classes here at Aeoncademy and we always start the term with a week of Introductory Sessions. Instead of our usual division into classes of Sparks, Vala and Creative catalyst at 4pm, everyone will be joining in with group activities representing all the classes!

Time Bandits negotiate for The Map

Here is our line up for term 1 of 2018. Art classes are in the top row, followed by Vala’s drama classes and then the Sparks cyclical forays into both programs + World Cooking.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Week One

Intro Sessions

Student free day

Intro sessions

All students start – Vala Games + Bird project.

Lego.

Intro sessions

Vala Games + Bird project –

Seed Planting

IntroSessions

Vala Games + Bird project –

Free time clay

Vala Games

Week Two

Cardboard City Pt1

Autumnal Prints 1

Under the Microscope 1

Pixies Tea Party 1

Giant Bubbles

READY PLAYER CHARACTER

READY PLAYER CHARACTER

READY PLAYER CHARACTER

READY PLAYER CHARACTER

Cornucopia

Carboard City

MINI PLAYER CHARACTER

World Cooking

Pixie Cup

Week Three

Cardboard City 2

Autumnal Prints 2

Under the Microscope 2

Pixies Tea Party 2

Cooking

Days of Narnia- The Lion, the Witch and the Wolves: The Waste and the Wild

Golden Age of Greek Heroes- the Odyssey: Cave of the Cyclops

Return to The Mountain (The Dwarf Trilogy)- Fragments of a Map: The Troll Woods

People of the Old Stone Age: Summer Heights

Cornucopia

DRAMATIC MAKE-BELIEVE Days of Narnia- ‘Friends in the Forest’

WC

Magnified Drawings

DRAMATIC MAKE-BELIEVE- People of the Old Stone Age- ‘Raiders at the Ford’

Week Four

Cardboard City 3

Autumnal Prints 3

Under the Microscope 3

Pixies Tea Party 3

Vala Games

Days of Narnia- The Lion, the Witch and the Wolves: The Waste and the Wild

Golden Age of Greek Heroes- the Odyssey: Cave of the Cyclops

Return to The Mountain (The Dwarf Trilogy)- Fragments of a Map: The Troll Woods

It is only two weeks then we’re all going back to school! Its hard to believe we’ve already had 10 days of amazing workshops across Vala, Creative Catalyst and Sparks. It’s a short week due to the Australia day long weekend but we intend to pack a lot into the next four days. Today is a full art class with Misty Mountain Oil Paintings, followed by the ceramic workshop Viking Ships, (a day of drawing with all types of media) Celtic Labyrinths on Thursday and finishing with Action Art 3 on Thursday.

Vala Club sees the week starting with Knights Templar, Coexistence in The Holy Land taking us back to the early middle ages, a time of great upheaval in the old world. Tuesday we travel with the Vikings to the fatal shore of North America . Wednesday sees the return of Return to The Mountain- the Dwarf trilogy (and the return of Andrew!) as we adventure into the fantasy world of the Dawn Saga. Finally Thursday finishes with the Golden age of Heros and Heroines as we enter The Cave of the Cyclops…

If you want to book in for any of the remaining workshops here they are

The Great Temple of Samye in TibetNumismatics displayed

As always our youngest children, the Sparks have the best of both worlds in sampling both the art adventures of Creative Catalyst and live action storytelling of Vala. While having plenty of time for creative play, dress ups, reading and more. The program is a great way for young children to get ready for school as we help reinforce ideas of group participation, working with a schedule of activities and eating together in a class situation.

Home made pizza of all varieties

Our dedicated caterer Ruth continues to provide delicious and healthy meal choices for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. Including fare to help cope with the very hot weather, from watermelon slushies, to fruit juice icy poles and plenty of fresh fruit, veggies and home made dips.

miniSparks was introduced last term in response to the growing number of Sparks. Creating a separate yet complementary group for our youngest members has meant that these children are able to continue exploring their creativity in visual, dramatic and culinary pursuits but they do so alongside a dedicated carer and amongst a smaller group. Storytelling, creative play, and enquiry continue as the foundations for the miniSparks explorative sessions. Our observations over the last term have indicated positive engagement across the board for our younger participants. As a result we are very excited to continue expanding miniSparks in relation to further growth across the week as it occurs.

This term we have introduced the Audio Pod which has proved a harmonious addition to Aeoncademy overall and the miniSparks in particular. The Audio Pod, a bridge to the realm of characters, stories and adventures, presents fantastic opportunities for developing and engaging in both creative and dramatic play in addition to being available to those participants who would like to simply chill out after a full day at school.

If you have a suggestion for our AudioPod let us know. We are looking to expand upon our collection of stories and the adventures to be had!

In response to a growing demand for our specialised creative programs Aeoncademy is opening up a new ‘MiniSparks‘ class to help better nurture the creative spark in our youngest students.

Aeoncademy is dedicated to providing high quality educational opportunities in a friendly environment. On our biggest days for our after school sessions; Monday and Tuesday, our fledgling ‘MiniSparks‘ will have greater opportunity to explore their creativity with a dedicated carer by their side who will lead this smaller class through a flexible student driven program spanning the visual, dramatic and culinary arts.

As children in the MiniSparks develop skills and experience they will move into the Sparks group. As usual Sparks at age 7 will be given the opportunity to graduate from the Sparks program altogether and take the next step on their Aeoncademy journey. Creative Catalyst, Vala and Cornucopia all eagerly await graduating Sparks!

We are excited to launch this class and observe the subsequent changes to the Sparks program which we believe will be highly positive and lead to greater engagement for our youngest Aeoncademy members.

Time spent outside has involved watering the new plants, skipping, hooping, constructing sand cities, developing potions, playing catch, wet water play, chilling in the shade and a number of different games.

As the sun rises higher there’s always time to chill out with a cold treat and listen to a story or two before returning to the thick of things for the second half of the day. It’s been fab as we chill out with all our cool Summer Programs

The first half of the Summer holidays have been a lot of fun despite the heat and there’s still new and different things to have a go at over the next few weeks before school returns. Encounters with dragons, pirates, and time bandits all loom on the horizon as do opportunities to construct a poisoned chalice or two, nurture a secretive garden into being, sculpt letters and words from clay and get active while developing artworks.

You can check out more that’s been going on this week over in our Summer Program

Rice Paper Rolls

Vietnam

Noodles, julienned vegetables and fresh herbs will keep sparks busy slicing, dicing and snipping before rolling rice paper rolls to dunk into some accompanying soy or sweet chilli sauce. A convenient picnic food we may just have to enjoy these outside if it’s warm.

Frozen Berry Fruit Bowls

Brazil

Eating is a visual sensation just as much as a taste one. Today we will combine, fruit, seeds and other tasty toppings to make a bowl to delight both eyes and tastebuds. Chewy, slimy, crunchy, soft, and slippery textures will be explored through the use of a variety of tasty offerings.

Slime

A tactile sensation! Squidge, smear, and squeeze a slimy snot between your fingers. Enjoy the sensation of wet, slippery slime on the eve of halloween. Sparks will don their lab coats today to create oozing gooey slime. Lets just hope our budding scientists don’t go a little mad with the fun of it all and let things get out of hand or allow the slime to have a mind of its own…

Braided Heart Bread

Slovenia

Dough is a very forgiving medium and quite tasty too. Today Sparks will mould dough into their very own frankensteinian creation; beating hearts, rattling skeletons, sugar skulls or decaying bouquets. Using a bread dough will enable the Sparks to use techniques that are not always possible with clay. Twist, fold and braid away.

Sesame Kaak

Lebanon

Leading up to the Open Day, Sparks will be creating these little sesame biscuits to share at the Open Day. Hospitality is a very important and enduring tradition in many cultures and often includes the offering of food as a component.

Hearth Pizza

Mediterranean

Today we will create our own pizza favourites before transporting them across to the pizza oven at Hearth, an upcoming local art exhibition. While the pizzas cook in the woodfired oven the Sparks can meander through the exhibit and perhaps forage in the garden for some last minute additions.

Plantain and Cheese Turnovers

Honduras

A traditional snack from Honduras this will be a tasty way to try plantain, for something a little different. Along with cheese gooey and oozy from being heated up these are likely to go down well.

Kulfi

India

As summer heats up this creamy treat offers some relief from the heat. Eaten by the Mughal emperors in the 16th century Sparks will be able to sample this delicious treat with the aid of some modern refrigeration.

Custard & fruit Danish, and Croissants with puff pastry

European

The Danish pastry has a complicated history of shared recipes across borders in Europe. This will be a chance for Sparks to watch custard being made from scratch, cracking eggs and stirring in milk and sugar. A sweet delectable treat.

Meringue, cream and fruit

Australian & NZ

Cooking is a process that sometimes involves using scraps, offcuts or leftovers. Today we will reconstruct egg whites leftover from the previous week to create a delectable treat in the form of meringue, cream and fruit. This recipe is going to require a little arm power however as sparks get beating and mixing.

Steamed Samoan Spice Cake

Samoan

Christmas is just around the corner and the spices we will be using in this cake invokes memories of fruit cake and pudding shared around a laden table with friends and family. Using spices provides a great opportunity to show Sparks the original form in which spices come and link them to a growing thing.

Otai

Tonga

At many a multicultural festival I have been refreshed with a drink of otai. The Sparks will enjoy mushing, squeezing and smashing watermelon together with coconut, lime and pineapple to recreate this drink on a warm afternoon in the sun.

Cachapas

Cooking Cachapas a corn based pancake from Venezuela heralds the beginning of a world cooking adventure for this term predominantly involving all sorts of flat delicacies.

Taking turns to flip these pancakes and then sharing in the taste test at the end proved popular with the Sparks, especially with a little cheese sprinkled on top.

Blini

Russia

Are you a fan of a sweet or savoury pancake?Today the Sparks will have the opportunity to try their hands at Blini. Blini are often served traditionally with a savoury topping so sour cream along with fresh herbs will definitely be one option for the Sparks to try themselves after measuring, mixing and then cooking the batter. What is your favourite topping for a pancake/crepe/blini?

Curried Corn with flatbread

Somalia

This will be the first time the Sparks try their hands at a curry sauce. But not to worry it will be a gentle introduction to spicy possibilities to come. Coupled with some delicious flat bread to soak up the curry sauce this dish from Somalia will stretch taste buds further then they may have travelled before. All the senses will be involved today as we cut, saute, simmer, mix and knead the components of this dish to form a simple meal.

Monica’s Tortilla

Spain

Over the years I have looked at and tried lots of different recipes for all sorts of things but my favourites always tend to be those recipes handed on to me from a friend or family member who often has had it passed on to them by someone they know. The recipe for our Tortilla today comes from Monica (one of our Educators whose family hails from Spain). Monica informs me that the best way to enjoy a tortilla is cold, served as an appetiser on a toothpick but I’m sure it will prove just as delicious warm on the day it is cooked.

Slice

Australiana

One of the best things about cooking, aside from the opportunity to cook and eat various creations is to share them with friends. Today Sparks are cooking slices to share with people who come on the Open Day this weekend. I can guarantee that each slice will have to pass a vigorous taste test before it is shared though. So if you would like to have an opportunity to try a delicacy prepared by our budding cooks here at Aeoncademy don’t forget to stop by this Saturday.

Potato Pancakes

Belarus

Hot Potato, Hot Potato

Dranicki are one more way you can enjoy potatoes.Slice it, dice it, grate it, grind it, mix it, fry it. These potato pancakes don’t need many ingredients; potatoes, an egg or two as well as a little seasoning but I am sure they will prove to be a hit with the Sparks. The hardest decision after frying up a few of these will be choosing what to eat them with.

Lumpia

Shanghai, China

This week Lumpia will give Sparks the opportunity to grate and slice things finely to make delicious little packages filled with vegetables and chicken. Crunchy water chestnuts, minced chicken and the vibrant colours from carrot and spring onion will all contribute to make this flavoursome snack often cooked for gatherings and celebrations. Half the fun will be in the packaging though: wrapping lumpia requires a certain technique which lends itself to the mass production of these delicious snacks. Which is just as well as I’m sure as soon as these are shared around they won’t last long.

Aloo Tikki

India

Having tried a potato snack from Belarus it is time to try an Indian version. A pinch of spices, a sprinkle of onion and a handful of peas lend a different flavour to this potato based snack popular in the North of India. Best enjoyed while still warm they’ll be going straight from the frying pan and into hungry mouths. Aloo Tikki won’t be the only new thing to try today as they are very enjoyable accompanied by a chutney or two.

Date Crepes

Emirati

I’m sure these crepes will prove popular, not only because they are a sweet option but because they will provide an opportunity to make the biggest pancakes yet, at least in size. By this class the Sparks will hopefully have had enough time to hone the flipping technique to confidently be flipping these between pan and plate to keep up with demand

Preserved Fetta

Greece

What to do with an excess of produce, or how to flavour something without cooking it? Preserving holds the key. Today we will look at spices, herbs and other popular preserving companions to store some fetta away for another day. Preserving is such a simple process but can make a big difference flavour wise. Take a small jar, place cubed fetta inside alongside the flavours of your choice, cover with olive oil and store away to enjoy another day.

Golden Syrup Dumplings

Yorkshire, England

This term we will be farewelling Winter so it seems appropriate to wrap up with a very comforting Winter dish. Rub a little butter into some flour, then add a little milk until a soft dough forms. Shape each dumpling with care and simmer in a golden sauce. Where to from here? We’ve been to a few different countries, tried different things, explored a new taste or two. Never fear, in the coming term there will be new places to visits, new combinations, flavours and things to try; possibilities abound.Perhaps you have a suggestion!

Our Sparks program at Aeoncademy is designed to allow children aged 4-7 to experience what our Vala and Creative Catalyst programs have to offer in addition to getting messy in the kitchen with some World Cooking. However if you currently have a child attending Sparks at Aeoncademy and they turn 7 this year then please lend me your ears or eyes as the case appears to be!

As the term in which your child turns 7 approaches so too does the long-awaited chance for them to choose the programs that they will graduate onto. They may decide both Creative Catalyst and Vala are equally great and they would like to do a little of both or that they have a particular favourite. In some cases they may decide they want to stay in Sparks just a little longer.

All these choices are okay. What is important is that as your Spark approaches their seventh birthday they are made aware of their responsibility to make a decision about what they want to do. At the start of the term your Spark will need to decide which room they want to be in on each day they attend, for the entirety of the term. You should help guide their decision as you see fit, and help these young graduates choose which of our programs they want to get involved in.

For example, Spark may decide they will do Creative Catalyst each Monday and Vala every Wednesday. If you or your Spark have any questions about this process don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are, as always,
here to help!

A New Year brings a new conceptualization of Spark-Vala Interactions. We hope that new changes we are slowly incorporating will create an even more interactive environment in which Sparks can explore and experience role play, drama for young children, character development, storytelling and creativity through play.

To help us create a fully interactive environment we have begun the search for resources, particularly fact and story books that are accessible for 4-7 year olds. If you know of any such resources please get in touch with us. We are particularly interested in subjects such as historical and ancient civilisations, mythology and different cultures.

We also hope that these changes will assist in the transition for Sparks turning 7 into what Vala consists of, especially during our longer holiday programs. Games that incorporate dice play to mediate outcomes is one new addition, and more self-contained dramatic play, including storytelling and little productions are designed to help children explore the context of our historical and legendary stories in a deeper manner. Let the dramatic adventures continue!

A big Thank You to all the friends and families of Aeoncademy who came out to our Open Day! While we were here we got to catch up with all manner of participants – from the youngest Sparks to the Teenage Artists still keeping involved.

Teffany got a start on the Barbeque creature for the upcoming AAA BBQ Festival, and some of our children and parents got involved in helping out! We had great fun in our crafternoon, and even released our Summer Program!

Thanks everyone once again for coming along and getting involved in our provision of Education through Creativity.

If you missed out on picking up your childrens’ artwork, don’t fret! We’ve stowed the ceramics on a shelf outside our art room – we’re here from 2 to 6 every day – so feel free to pop in, say g’day, and take home your art! We’ll keep the work there until the next Open Day, so you’ve got a bit of time.

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The Aeoncademy Centre

We operate a boutique Outside School-Hours Centre offering After School classes and Holiday Programs based in Yarralumla. We provide the quintessential Aeoncademy ‘Education through Creativity’ experience.